Possessive Adjectives: My, Your, His, Her, Our, Their
Quick Answer
English has six possessive adjectives — small words that show who owns the next noun: my, your, his, her, our, their.
Click any one below to open a short lesson with examples, common mistakes, and a quiz.
What Is a Possessive Adjective?
A possessive adjective is a tiny word you put before a noun to say who it belongs to. It answers the question: whose?
- my phone — belongs to me
- your phone — belongs to you
- his phone — belongs to a man
- her phone — belongs to a woman
- our phone — belongs to us
- their phone — belongs to them
The Six Possessive Adjectives
Each pairs with a subject pronoun (I, you, he, she, we, they). Pick one, learn it, take the quiz, then come back for the next.
| Subject | Possessive | Owner | Example | Lesson |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | my | me | My name is Sara. | Learn MY |
| you | your | you | Your bag is heavy. | Learn YOUR |
| he | his | a man / boy | His car is red. | Learn HIS |
| she | her | a woman / girl | Her name is Lisa. | Learn HER |
| we | our | us (a group) | Our team won. | Learn OUR |
| they | their | them (others) | Their house is big. | Learn THEIR |
The Rule in One Line: A possessive adjective sits before a noun to show who owns it.
Learn Them One by One
Take one word at a time. Each step shows you who the thing belongs to, with examples and the mistake to avoid.
Step 1: My
Use my to show that something belongs to you — your own things. Say my book, my car, my name.
Examples:
- My phone is on the table. (The phone belongs to me.)
- This is my sister. (She is part of my family.)
- I love my job. (The job is mine.)
Common mistake
Using I instead of my
✗ I car is red.
✓ My car is red.
Using me instead of my
How to remember: I (subject) → my (possessive). Always before the thing: my + thing.
Step 2: Your
Use your to show that something belongs to the person you are talking to. Say your bag, your name, your idea.
Examples:
- Your bag is on the chair. (The bag belongs to the person I am talking to.)
- Is this your phone? (Asking if the phone belongs to you.)
- I like your idea. (The idea is yours.)
Common mistake
Using you’re instead of your
✗ You’re bag is heavy. (“You are bag”? No.)
✓ Your bag is heavy.
Using you instead of your
How to remember: Your = belongs to you. You’re = you are. If you can replace it with “you are,” use “you’re” — otherwise, use “your.”
Step 3: His
Use his to show that something belongs to a man or boy — one male person. Say his car, his brother, his idea.
Examples:
- Sam left his phone at home. (The phone belongs to Sam.)
- My father loves his garden. (The garden belongs to my father.)
- Adam is here with his wife. (The wife is Adam’s.)
Common mistake
Using he instead of his
✗ He car is red.
✓ His car is red.
Using him instead of his
How to remember: He has things → his things. The man is “he”; what he owns is “his.”
Step 4: Her
Use her to show that something belongs to a woman or girl — one female person. Say her bag, her sister, her idea.
Examples:
- Sara forgot her umbrella. (The umbrella belongs to Sara.)
- My sister loves her new job. (The job belongs to my sister.)
- Maria is here with her daughter. (The daughter is Maria’s.)
Common mistake
Using she instead of her
✗ She bag is heavy.
✓ Her bag is heavy.
Using his for a woman
How to remember: She has things → her things. The woman is “she”; what she owns is “her.”
Step 5: Our
Use our to show that something belongs to you and other people together — your group, your family, your team. Say our house, our team, our idea.
Examples:
- Our team won the match. (The team belongs to us.)
- Our teacher is very kind. (The teacher belongs to our class.)
- This is our first time here. (The visit is shared between us.)
Common mistake
Using are instead of our
✗ This is are house.
✓ This is our house.
Using we instead of our
How to remember: We own things → our things. “Are” is a verb (“we are happy”), “our” is an owner (“our happiness”).
Step 6: Their
Use their to show that something belongs to two or more people who are not you. Say their car, their house, their idea.
Examples:
- My neighbours love their garden. (The garden belongs to the neighbours.)
- The kids forgot their bags. (The bags belong to the kids.)
- Tom and Sara are at their house. (The house belongs to Tom and Sara.)
Common mistake
Using there instead of their
✗ There car is broken.
✓ Their car is broken.
Using they’re instead of their
How to remember: Their = belongs to them. There = a place (over there). They’re = they are. Three sounds the same, three different jobs.
Test Yourself: Possessive Adjectives
Choose an answer to see your feedback immediately. Your first answer counts towards your score.
1. Sara forgot _______ keys at the office.
2. We love _______ new flat.
3. Tom and Sara invited me to _______ wedding.
Keep Going — You Are Building Something
You now know the six possessive adjectives by name. The next step is to make each one feel automatic.
The first one is my. It seems simple — but did you know there is one tiny rule that decides whether you say “I name” or “my name”? Most beginners get it wrong the first time.
Next lesson: Types of Adjectives: Exploring the Versatile Parts of Speech
I’m Khamis Maiouf. I’m studying Health and Social Care and have completed Functional Skills Level 2 in English and Level 3 Hairdressing. I have taught ESOL in my community and helped students with GCSE English. I run English Teacher Site to help people learn and practise English.